[Many European diplomats believe]
Some European foreign ministers had refused to pose alongside Russia’s top diplomat, Sergey Lavrov, at a Group of 20 gathering hosted by the United States. Many European diplomats believe that Russian officials like Sergey Lavrov should be shunned over Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Credit... Erik S. Lesser/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images By Michael Crowley Reporting from Washington The New York Times , Oct. 30, 2026 Updated 4:12 p.m. ET A U.S.-hosted gathering of foreign ministers got off to an awkward start on Friday when a planned group photo was canceled after some diplomats refused to pose alongside Russia’s top diplomat, Sergey Lavrov. The ministers are in Atlanta for a two-day meeting of the Group of 20, a forum of major nations that seek to coordinate global economic and political policy. Russia is a longtime member of the group, which also includes Brazil, Japan, Saudi Arabia, China, Japan and several European states. But many European diplomats believe that Russian ...